The Democratic advocate., 1887-11-26
On a Buffalo Hunt.

On O Buffalo Hunt.
Correspondencc of Philadelphia Times.
We came in sight of one herd as da,
was breaking, and Immediately gave chase
The bison fed before us, we tearing afte
.them like mad, but in few minutes th'
Eerd scattered and so we selected certail
bunch, which we followed up. | had got
ten pretty close upon my quarry, when
whisk-out of sight they went, and in
moment had followed them. They hat
gone over bank into creek so suddenl,
that, not observing it, | followed close upoi
their heels; and there we were, buffaloes
pony and myself, uninjured, but founder
ing and swimming about in deep water
By the time got to the opposite bank ant
secured my pony the buffaloes were gon,
out of sight, scampering across the prairi
to join the main herd, and my orderly stool
on the bluff behind where we had jus
tpmbled from, laughing at my predica
ment. He had luckily checked himsel
and steed just in time to save both from
following us.
In halfan hour matters were Strengthened
out and we rode to the top of neighbor
ing knoll to get view of the surroundings
Our original herd was dim in the distance
a cloud of dust on the horizon telling where
they were still going at full speed; While
regfetfully watching them my orderly sud
denly exclaimed
"Look, lieutenant, here comes another
herd across the country and making straight
for us. )"
Casting my eyes in the direction indi
Gated, sure enough another tremendous
herd was pointing in the direction of oul
knoll and coming directly at us like a
thunder cloud. No use to fly, for there
was no place to fly to. One solid black
mass was sweeping towards US like whirl-
wind, and it became necessary for us to dc
something, and do it quickly, too, or have
the life trampled out of us in few min.
utes.
"Dismount u I cried; 'ssling the bride
over your arm, and, when give the word,
fire as rapidly as you can"
We both dismounted and, drawing our
four reyolvers, opened fire on the solid
phalanx at long range. The great drove
of animals were plunging wildly forward,
with their heads down, almost sweeping the
ground, and consequently did not see us.
| Our hope was to attract their attention and
by SO doing to frighten them apd endeavoF
to THROW them out Of their course. Had
they seen us in the first place they would
probably have halted or turned their course
to one side AS it happened, they kept
madly on until our bullets began to sting
them, when the leaders looked up and,
seeing the strange sight in front of them,
actually paused or attempted to do so, but
it was at their peril, for the foremost were
Immediately trampled beneath the feet Of
the rushing, crushing multitude behind.
The pile of bodies was our salvation, for it
served as an impediment to those in the
rear and together with our rapid FIRE sort
of stampeded the whole outfit. The pile
became higher and higher as buffalo after
buffalo came rolling on to the heap, and
this blockade actually caused the tremep-
dous mass to split aud divide, . moiety go
ing each side Of 1t. The center had been
checked, but the wings were still sweeping
by at railroad speed. We hurried down to
the pile of carcasses as being our safest
point and stood there watching the sea Of
animals raging and tearing by Ike the
billows of an angry sea, A hundred yards
or so further on the wings came together
again, and there we were, in the midst of
that living mass, safe and free from harm.
1t was strange, remarkable sight-one
which l never expect to see on earth again.
NY head turned dizzy with SO much motion
all about me, but both myself and the Or
derly had sense enough to blaze away iu'
cessantly directly in front of us, which had
the effect to throw the successive leaders
in still more confusion, and no doubt was
the means of saving us from being trampled
to death. After this tremendous herd Of
bison, going at about twelve miles an hour,
had passed, which consumed some forty
minutes of time, we found ourselves among
the scattered tail end Of the hard. Here
was our chance. Quickly singing out an
animal / was soon dashing alongside of
him and pumping cold lead into his bosom
from my revolver. Ny pony, well trained
to such sport, never left his side until the
poor brute staggered in his tracks. When
he rolled over on the prairie in the last
throes of death, I singled out another big
fellow and was soon pouring leaden pills
into his shaggy hide also. / had dropped
an even dozen before my little cayuse or
became winded.
Then looked around for my orderly,
but he was nowhere to be seen. One old
bull took no less than twenty cartridges
before he yielded up the ghost, which
compelled me to reload both revolvers from
horseback while going at tearing pace
The buffalo dies very hard. Even though
mortally wounded, an individual unac-
quainted with its nature, though ever Sd
good marksman, is much surprised not to
see him fall at once. One would suppose
that shot about the head or central part
of the body would prove fatal, but such is
not the case. To kill bison the ball must
either divide his spine or enter his body
behind the shoulder, few inches above
the brisket, this being the only point
through which the heart or lungs can be
reached. Even with forty-fve ball
through the most vital part have known
| a bull to run for half mile before falling